The remarks by the all-powerful Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came ahead of a new round of negotiations with the so-called P5+1 group of world powers in Geneva on November 7 and 8.
“I am not optimistic about the negotiations but, with the grace of God, we will not suffer losses either,” said Khamenei.
“I do not think the negotiations will produce the results expected by Iran,” he told a group of students at his residence, a day before the anniversary of the takeover of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.
All decisions on the nuclear programme, which Western powers and Israel suspect is masking a military drive despite repeated Iranian denials, rest with Khamenei.
Next week’s talks are aimed at finding a negotiated solution that would remove concerns about Iran’s nuclear drive in exchange for an easing of economic sanctions that have provoked soaring inflation.
It will be the second such meeting since Hassan Rohani, a reputed moderate, took office as Iran’s president in August with a stated mandate of lifting the sanctions through constructive engagement.
Khamenei criticised the US’s dual approach yesterday, as the crowd of students chanted “Death to America”.
“The Americans smile and express a desire for negotiations; on the other hand, they immediately say that all options are on the table,” he said.
“We should not trust a smiling enemy,” Khamenei said.
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